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A San Diego State associate dean is drawing backlash from the SDSU College Republicans because of a comment he made on a political article shared by a Facebook friend of his.

“The Republican Party has become an extremist terrorist organization,” Associate Dean of Library and Information Access Patrick McCarthy said in a comment on a Newsweek article, according to screenshots obtained by conservative-leaning college news site Campus Reform.

Brandon Jones, president of the SDSU College Republicans, said he strongly condemns McCarthy’s statement.

“I think it was inappropriate for somebody that’s of his caliber to say something like that without any facts,” Jones said. “I think it’s totally out of context. I’m not opposed to different political views by any means. But for him to go to an extreme like that definitely does not help the environment on campus with the liberal bias.”

SDSU spokesperson Gina Jacobs released the following statement in response to McCarthy’s comments:

“The views and opinions expressed by faculty and staff on their personal accounts are protected by the First Amendment and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the university.”

Jones said he is not satisfied with university’s comment on the matter.

“They said that the associate dean’s views don’t necessarily reflect the views and values of the university, which I think was a poor word choice on their part,” he said. “I think it could lead to some different interpretations. But if they’re going to protect his free speech then I feel like they need to a better job of protecting conservative students’ free speech.”

Jones said contrary to some reports, the College Republicans are not asking McCarthy to resign, though they are planning to reach out to him and ask for an apology.

“It is free speech, but with free speech comes consequences, on both sides of the political spectrum,” Jones said. “Free speech is protected but you can’t say whatever you want.”

If McCarthy will not apologize and instead stands by his statement, Jones said his organization will ask to debate him in a public forum.

McCarthy failed to respond to repeated requests for comment from The Daily Aztec.

Jones said he was alerted to McCarthy’s comments by a University of Pittsburgh student and Campus Reform writer who happened to have a mutual friend with McCarthy and saw the comment.

It’s far from the first time Jones has seen an anti-Republican bias from SDSU faculty, although he was surprised to see it freely expressed by an associate dean.

“The attitude and the environment at SDSU doesn’t surprise me at all,” he said. “It’s pretty common for Republicans to be portrayed as that on campus, both by faculty and students.”

He said professors have, at times, been hostile to his opinions. In one instance, a professor made a comment to him that he said led to other students feeling encouraged to start attacking him.

Jones’ response, he said, was to calmly approach her after class about the matter.

“I said, ‘Hey, you know what, I think that there’s a little bit of bias here,’” Jones said. “And she looked me right in the eyes and said that I asked for this discrimination on the first day of class when I wore my ‘Make America Great Again’ hat.”

“I wouldn’t want a conservative professor, if they even exist on this campus, to shut down somebody’s viewpoints if they were wearing an Obama or a Bernie T-shirt,” he said.

To Jones, there is a clear and distinct difference between the way liberal and conservative opinions are treated at SDSU.

“I hope that it comes to an end soon,” he said. But it just kind of seems to be the political environment that’s happening across the country.”

This story was updated at 9 pm on June 10 to reflect an updated version of SDSU’s official statement from spokesperson Gina Jacobs.

It’s shocking to see such irrational bias expressed by Associate Dean Patrick McCarthy. He should be removed from his position immediately. Clearly, the Republican Party is not a terrorist organization. McCarthy minimizes the actions of actual terrorist groups. He should serve a period of unpaid leave and/or resign.

Hayden on
June 12th, 2017 4:30 pm

I’m sorry, but are you blind? You don’t even know the context of this because the news article failed to show the screenshots, AND why he was saying that in the first place.
1.) Patrick is 100% protected by the First Amendment to free speech. His position at work can not be penalized for stating his opinion on his PRIVATE account.
2.) Again, his position at his job can not be penalized for his private comments. While everyone is trying to shut him down and get him fired, that is against the law.
3.) Every single news article about this event is wrong. I know personally because I was in the thread of comments and I personally know Patrick.
4.) The Article he was referring to, was one that was talking about how right-wing extremists are a bigger threat to America than ISIS. That is a fact.
5.) It is not an irrational bias. It is a statement that is proven every day in the White House with Trump.

J.J. on
June 21st, 2017 11:33 pm

Best oxymoronic comment of the evening: “It is not an irrational bias. It is a statement that is proven every day in the White House with Trump.” Riiiight. I’d love to hear what you say when you ARE irrational. That must be a trip. Notice that, as if the insane comparison between alleged “right-wing” extremist and ISIS was not ridiculous enough (how many people do you know have been publicly beheaded, drowned, burnt alive, etc by such right-wing extremists?), but no one seemed to have mentioned the Republican party by name…. until your buddy (the well named) McCarthy made that explicit comparison. Still care to defend the undefensible?

Patrick’s Facebook friend shared this article on her page. Patrick expressed his opinion and his right to free speech when he made his comment.
He was not referring to ALL Republicans as extremist terrorists, but the RIGHT-WING Republicans.
This event has been completely taken out of context.
As for the comment from Chandra Samin, Patrick has a right to free speech, and his work can not be terminated due to that. His statement was not threatening, nor was it falsely accusing.
He made that statement based on what the right-wing Republicans have shown to America.
Any logical person would agree that the statements Donald Trump and his associates support and say are completely false and damaging to America.
Will Fritz, why are you contributing to the fake news?

J.J. on
June 21st, 2017 11:41 pm

When you say “Any logical person would agree that the statements Donald Trump and his associates support and say are completely false and damaging to America.”, has it ever occurred to you that even if you find them illogical, there are quite a few people who totally and completely disagree with your statement, unless your replace the name Donald Trump with eiher Barack Hussein Obama or Hillary Clinton (so many such people in fact that they elected the former (TrumP rather than the latter (Clinton). The difference between you and them is that even if they disagree with your views, they won’t berate you for it, whereas you, like most self-designated enlightened liberals, feel so superior in your understanding of the realities of the world that you have no room left for people who merely have different views. FYI, that’s how fascism thrives. If you can’t tolerate views that diverge from yours, face it, you’re a little fascist.

Ted on
June 16th, 2017 9:17 pm

It’s all a matter of perspective. Knee jerk reaction would be no. However, think about the NEO elements of both Republican and Democrats that keep policing all-around the world. Eisenhower warned us and it’s still stronger than ever.

Mark Nelson on
June 19th, 2017 12:48 am

But seriously, SDSU is acting more like Donald Trump than Barack Obama lately. Just like Trump, SDSU is planning to destroy the environment to build opulent housing. In Trump’s case, he destroys whatever he can bribe his way clear of and builds Trump Hotels. In SDSUs case, they plan to build expensive, design award winning dorms in the canyon, destroying the ecosystem, land, animals and plants and never looking at sustainability for a New York Minute.

The Associate Dean should be careful what he says, since his university is pretty darn close to Trump’s abysmal environmental behavior and he’s self-indicting.

Robert Carande on
June 24th, 2017 6:25 pm

“Free speech is protected but you can’t say whatever you want.” Yes, basically that’s what free speech means as a right we have as citizens.

Robert Carande on
June 24th, 2017 6:29 pm

ie: we get to say what we want.

BonnieKay Lowe on
August 24th, 2017 4:02 am

Yes, every American gets the right to open his mouth and say whatever comes to him. However, that right does not protect any citizen from the consequences of those words. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Words are powerful, and the wise know when and how to use them, and when to let silence speak louder than words.

Jonah Kyle on
September 26th, 2017 11:51 am

The associate Dean is a direct representative of the true roots of the university’s mascot: The Aztec. Remember, Aztecs murdered children for sacrifices.

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